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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29670231">at last</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/asterphobia/pseuds/asterphobia'>asterphobia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:47:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29670231</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/asterphobia/pseuds/asterphobia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>cas gets hurt, sam takes care of him</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel/Sam Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>at last</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Shit, Cas!" Sam curses, bloody knife clutched in one hand and his other wrapped around Cas's waist, helping him out of the musty warehouse. Cas groans, clutching at the wound in his stomach.</p>
<p>"Sam-"</p>
<p>"Hang on. Hang on, Cas." Sam can see the Impala, just ahead. Footsteps fall behind them, and Sam whips around, nearly slinging Cas onto the ground.</p>
<p>The djinn's tattoos glow bright blue, decorating her face and arms. Her eyes glow violet.</p>
<p>"I can take it away, Sam."</p>
<p>"I don't know what you're talking about." Sam hefts the knife in his hand, adjusting it until his fingers line up against the lamb's-blood soaked blade.</p>
<p>"I think you forget I'm psychic, Sam. Just like you were once, you remember that? I know who you love. And I know how they feel about you." The djinn croons, her singsongy tone offset by the way she's advancing towards them, like a predator stalking their prey.</p>
<p>"I think you forget-" Sam straightens up as best as he can with Cas's weight like a dead sack on his shoulder. "I don't give a fuck." Sam says a silent prayer to whoever's listening, and throws the blade square at her chest.</p>
<p>It lands true, and Sam barely has a chance to breathe a sigh of relief before Cas collapses onto the ground.</p>
<p>"Sam." Cas clutches at Sam's jacket with one hand. "Don't-"</p>
<p>"No. I'm not leaving you, idiot. We have to go, you're losing a lot of blood." Sam rips off his coat, pressing it against Cas's stomach, making Cas bite down on his own lip so hard it draws blood.</p>
<p>"I was going to say -" Cas coughs. "Don't leave me." Cas's red-rimmed eyes are pleading, and Sam unconsciously lifts a hand to Cas's cheek.</p>
<p>"Never."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>---------------------</p>
<p>Cas passes out as soon as Sam deposits him on the thin bed in the med room.</p>
<p>"No, Cas. Stay awake, come on, you know you can't fall asleep like this." Sam frantically pats Cas's face, and Cas's eyes flutter. </p>
<p>"Sam..."</p>
<p>"Hi. Hey, Cas. Okay, stay awake for me. You've lost a lot of blood." Sam carefully takes Cas's hands away from the wound, ripping his shirt and examining the bloody hole where the djinn's knife stabbed Cas as he was trying to free one of the victims.</p>
<p>"Okay. Okay, see, it's not that bad." Sam watches Cas's pale face anxiously as he grabs rags and bandages, quickly dipping them in antiseptic before applying them to Cas's stomach. Cas groans tightly, his jaw clenching.</p>
<p>Once most of the blood is cleaned away, thanks to several rags that Sam just dumps on the floor, he can see that the thin knife cut isn't that bad - not for them, at least.</p>
<p>"See, Cas? You're gonna be just fine. You've had way worse." Sam shoots a smile at Cas, who seems to be coming back to his senses. "Okay, now for the hard part. You ever had stitches before?"</p>
<p>Cas stares at him, eyes glassy. "No." </p>
<p>"Okay. Well, uh. Bite down on this." Sam pulls his belt off and folds it in half before giving it to Cas, who automatically clamps down on it, apprehension showing in the knot between his eyebrows and the fear in his fading eyes. "Trust me, it's not that bad, but it does hurt your first few times until you get used to it."</p>
<p>Sam carefully threads a needle, and delicately begins stitching up Cas's wound. Cas groans, fists clenching at his sides. His eyes roll back a little as Sam pulls the needle through, and Sam recognizes the signs of Cas about to pass out again.</p>
<p>"Hey, Cas, stay with me, okay? Remember when it was me with a belt in my mouth and you were the one doing something like this? Remember?"</p>
<p>Cas nods. Sam smiles encouragingly at him, willing his hands not to shake.</p>
<p>"Good. See, we're almost done." Sam pulls the thread, quickly tying a knot and clipping off the excess. "Okay, now we're gonna put a bandage over it just in case something happens, then you'll be good to go."</p>
<p>Cas spits the belt out of his mouth.</p>
<p>"Sam."</p>
<p>"Yeah?" Sam doesn't look up at him. Cas's voice is soft.</p>
<p>"What did she mean?"</p>
<p>"Who?" Sam asks, even though he knows damn well who Cas is talking about.</p>
<p>"The djinn. She said she knows who you love, and how they feel about you. What did she mean?" Cas's voice is firmer now, breaking as Sam threads the needle through his skin again.</p>
<p>"No clue. You know monsters, they'll say anything to stay alive." Sam feels very out of breath. "Okay. All done."</p>
<p>Cas immediately tries to sit up, but groans and falls back almost as quickly.</p>
<p>"Woah. Easy, tiger. Let me go get you some water." Sam grabs a paper cup from the cupboard and fills it at the sink - normally he'd go get water from the significantly less rusty sink in the kitchen, but he's unwilling to leave Cas alone right now.</p>
<p>"Okay. Here you go." Sam presses the cup into Cas's hand, and Cas's fingers flutter over his knuckles, light as a butterfly's wings. His heart jumps.</p>
<p>Cas takes a long drink, like he hasn't had water in days, and leans his head back while Sam busies himself wrapping a bandage over the stitches in case Cas does something dumb and they come loose.</p>
<p>"Thank you," Cas says softly. His voice is still wavery and his cheeks are still devoid of most color, but the fact he's able to sit up at all is good enough for Sam.</p>
<p>"Of course, Cas. Anything for you." Sam's head snaps up as he realizes what he said, his cheeks burning, but Cas merely watches him intently.</p>
<p>"Okay. All done." Sam stands up, offering Cas a hand as he swings his feet gingerly off the bed. "You need rest - lots of it. C'mon." </p>
<p>Sam wraps an arm around Cas's waist, helping him up the stairs and pretending he doesn't notice how Cas is walking a little closer than necessary to him. They reach the main hall, stopping outside Cas's bedroom.</p>
<p>"Okay. I'll see you in the morning, alright?" Sam turns around to go, but a small voice stops him.</p>
<p>"Sam. Could you ... stay?" Cas asks, a slight flush creeping into his cheeks. Sam stares at him.</p>
<p>"Please?" Cas adds.</p>
<p>"Yeah. Of course. Let me go get some pajamas, okay? I'll be right back." Sam almost runs to his room, heart pounding, closing the door behind him. Cas wants him to stay the night with him? In his room? </p>
<p>To be fair, the angel just got stabbed. He probably just wants anyone - just wants comfort. He'd ask the same of anyone else in the bunker - Sam's not special. Still, the thought of being that close to Cas, all night? He doesn't know if he can take it.</p>
<p>Still, this isn't about him. This is about Cas. Cas deserves a little bit of comfort, even if it's at the expense of Sam's formerly-well-suppressed crush on him.</p>
<p>Sam throws on the sweatpants and t-shirt he usually wears to bed, resisting the urge to make sure his hair isn't a mess before he makes his way down to Castiel's room. When he gets there, the lights are already off, and Cas is on his back. He's stock still, the only thing giving any hint that he's still awake is the fact his eyes are wide open. He's also in his pajamas - a pale yellow shirt and bee-patterned pajama pants that Sam bought him on a Walmart run three months ago.</p>
<p>Sam quietly steps in, closing the door behind him. He makes his way over to Cas, easing in beside him so his back is to the wall that Cas's bed is pressed up against and he's facing Cas's side profile.</p>
<p>"You okay?" Sam whispers.</p>
<p>"I think so." Cas whispers back, turning so he's facing Sam. Their noses are millimeters apart. "I was thinking about what you said, though. About when I touched your soul - or lack of it."</p>
<p>"Well, I didn't really say anything. I just was trying to keep you from passing out." Sam feels breathless, and the room seems very hot.</p>
<p>"Yeah." Cas pauses. "I never really apologized to you, though. For all the pain I caused you."</p>
<p>"You don't need to, Cas. I understand why you did it." Sam says it earnestly, willing Castiel to believe him. "You were doing what you thought was right."</p>
<p>"That doesn't excuse it." Cas looks ashamed.</p>
<p>"No, it doesn't. But it doesn't need to be excused for me to forgive you." Sam thinks back to all the times Cas has sacrificed, lost for him. "I do forgive you, you know. For all of it."</p>
<p>Silence. Then Cas turns over, back to Sam. </p>
<p>Sam wonders if he's fallen asleep.</p>
<p>"Thank you." A soft whisper from Cas makes Sam smile. </p>
<p>"Anything for you." Sam whispers back, and closes his eyes.</p>
<p>Sam is almost asleep when Cas speaks again.</p>
<p>"Are you still awake?"</p>
<p>"Mmm?" Sam rolls over, just to find Cas closer than before. "Shit." </p>
<p>"Sorry." Cas scoots backwards an inch. "I have a question."</p>
<p>Sam smiles despite himself. "Shoot, Cas."</p>
<p>"Who did the djinn think you love?" Cas's eyes are dark in the pitch black of the room.</p>
<p>God. Sam can't do this. Cas interviewing him about his love life while BEING the person he loves? What's wrong with his life?</p>
<p>"Hell if I know, Cas. Like I said-"</p>
<p>"Yes, I know. Monsters say anything to stay alive. But her knowing who you love wouldn't have helped her stay alive. So who is it?" Cas is merely an inch away from him. It'd be so easy to lean forward, just the smallest distance to close...</p>
<p>"Why do you care, Cas?" The words come out harsher than Sam meant them, and he can see Cas's flush in the little light provided by the alarm clock on Cas's nightstand.</p>
<p>"I just... I just want to know if I'm right."</p>
<p>"Right about what?"</p>
<p>"Right about who I think you love." Cas says it quietly.</p>
<p>Sam raises an eyebrow at this. "So, you're going all Sherlock Holmes on my life for what? Shits and giggles?"</p>
<p>"I don't know who that is."</p>
<p>Sam breathes out a laugh. "Cas, whoever you think it is, you're probably right. I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. Now go to sleep, that wound isn't gonna get better the more you play matchmaker."</p>
<p>Sam rolls over, but he swears he catches a glimpse of a smile on Cas's face before he does the same.</p>
<p>Sleep comes quicker than he thought, and he dreams of bright blue eyes and butterfly-light touches.</p>
<p>------------------------</p>
<p>Sam wakes up to a faceful of black hair that smells faintly like honey and arms wrapped around his waist so tight he's surprised his ribs aren't cracking. </p>
<p>Cas is pressed up against Sam, the covers pulled up around his shoulders and his nose buried in Sam's neck. Sam has got one arm over Cas's back and one tucked behind his head. Both of Cas's arms are tight around Sam's waist. </p>
<p>Shit.</p>
<p>This can't have been intentional. How embarrassed will Cas be once he wakes up? That would break Sam's heart - to see Cas flush in embarrassment that he displayed that kind of intimacy with someone he's not even romantically interested in.</p>
<p>Still, Cas's body weight feels comforting on top of his, and Sam lets himself stay a little longer - stare down at the artwork that he's holding in his arms for just a few more minutes.</p>
<p>Cas stirs, and Sam's heart drops. Blue eyes meet his as realization dawns.</p>
<p>"Cas. I'm so sorry, I didn't want to wake you, but I know this wasn't on purpose, and-" Sam starts apologizing, but Cas cuts him off.</p>
<p>"Are you going to do it, or do I have to?"</p>
<p>"Wh- I'm sorry?"</p>
<p>"I said, are you going to do it, or do I have to?" A slight tone of annoyance creeps into Cas's voice, but he's smiling - why is he smiling?</p>
<p>"I - I don't-" Sam stammers, heartbeat too quick under Cas's stare.</p>
<p>"Fine." Cas reaches up and kisses him, softly, carefully.</p>
<p>"Oh." Sam feels like he's short-circuiting. This has to be a dream.</p>
<p>"Are you okay, Sam?" Cas looks concerned, but Sam is just staring at his lips, thinking <em> oh God Cas just kissed me, what do I do, God, Cas just-</em></p>
<p>Sam looks back down at Cas. "Did you mean that? The kiss?"</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"Then I'm more than okay. In fact, I think I'm the best I've ever been."</p>
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